Lumber-drier



- (No Model,)

W. E. COLE. v

LUMBER DRIER. No. 319,677. Patented June 9, 1885.

fi'afiiwssa: I Ira/072 257" STATES ATEN T Fries.

LUMBER-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,677, dated June 9, 1885.

'* Application filed June 13, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be' it known that I, WILLIAM E. COLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lumber-Driers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to kilns for drying lumber; and the object in view is to so construct the kiln that all of the products of combustion shall pass therethrough in an evenly-distributed body, so as to uniformly dry the lumber stored therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flue Without an uptake, chimney, or stack directly communicating therewith, in order that the combustion may be slow but complete, and pass in the form of fire-heated air into the body of the kiln, whereby direct heat or caloric is employed,instead of radiated heat, in the process of drying the lumber.

Another object of the invention is to provide separate and independent flues of cheap construction, and without doors, grates, or stacks, so as to adapt them for the consumption of waste lumber about mills, and so as to be able to burn the same without regard to the direction of the wind at the time of their use.

Other objects of the invention will be mentioned in the following description thereof, and the novel features will be specifically set forth in the claims. a

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lumber-drierv constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line X X of Fig. 1.

Like letters indicate like parts in both fig- A represents the main portion or storageroom of the drier, i n which the lumber is piled, in the ordinary manner, upon a floor, B, consisting of joists arranged in any suitable manner which will support the'lumber and provide spaces for the products of combustion to pass through.

0 represents a door, through which the 1umber is introduced into the drier, and D rep- (No model.)

resents windows or doors, through which observations may be taken of the progress of the drying operation.

Beneath the floor B,I' construct two arches, E E, in line with each other and divided by a solid wall, E. The form of the arches in cross-section may be as desired, and in the side walls of each, and preferably below the mid-height thereof, are formed openings E, communicating with a chamber, F, between the floor B and the crown or top E of the arches E E, said chamber, also, in this instance being divided, as are the arches, by a wall, E. The arches and walls E E may be constructed of brick, stone, iron, or any suitable material. They are unprovided with doors, and have no Smokestack, uptake, or chimney, except as the main portion A of the drier'serves that function.

After being filled with lumber, slabs from logs or other soft fuel are placed within each of the flues, and a fire is kindled and the products of combustion collected in the upper portion of the flues above the perforations thereof, and gradually pass down and out through said flues into the chambers F, and finally upward through the floor amidst the lumber piled thereon. The retention of the products of combustion in the arches for a time before their escape throughthe perforations thereof produces a substantially complete consumption of the smoke and a thorough consumption of the sparks while in the arch and before the passage thereof through the small perforations in the sides of the arch into the chambers and main portion of the drier. In this manner safety is secured and'complete consumption is had, and a thoroughly-heated body of air is conducted directly against the lumber, combined with a greater or less percentage of smoke, whereby the preservative qualities of the smoke and the rapid drying of fire-heated air are among the advantages derived from the construction shown, and there being virtually no uptake, chimney, or stack, the loss of heat accompanying the use of such an appendage is obviated, and therefore economy of fuel is practiced.

I do not limit my invention to any particular number of flues, nor any particular disposition of the same relative to the shape or configuration of the main portion; but I deemit essential that the ends of each shall be sepa rate from the other, as by a solid wall, as hereinbefore described.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is 1. In a lumber-drier, a stackless flue having aseries of perforations in the lower halves of its side walls, and having an imperforated top and end wall, substantially as specified.

2. In a lumber-drier, the combination of two stackless fiues arranged in line with each other, and having ilnperforated tops or upper side walls, and perforations in the lower halves of their side wal1s,with a solid wall separating the fines from each other, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a lumber-drier, the main portion A, having nearly-closed sides, ends, and top, and

2 0 an open flooring, B,-in combination with the WIL -I E; Conn.

WVitnesses:

P. S. SMITH, T. B. VVILKINSODL: 

